Dionysus and Genisis God
Every individual has his/her own view of a divine power. It appears that each different culture looks at its’ higher being in a
different way. Texts and myths are used by each culture to explain its god or gods or even goddesses. Genesis, from the
Bible, shows the many characteristics of the Christian God, as does Euripides' The Bacchae of Dionysus. The two separate
Gods are shown to illustrate very similar human characteristics; however, they differ by their godly attributes and their effect on
how women are viewed in today's society.
The Christian God, as described in Genesis, possesses some common human characteristics. The Greek God of all that
is emotional, Dionysus, is depicted in The Bacchae to have those same human emotions. Both Gods portray a very common
human emotion: need. The Genesis God wants to be the only God that the people belief in; he is needy in receiving recognition
for being the only God. Dionysus has a very similar conflict. The entire play deals with Dionysus testing the Theban women of
their sincere devotion and belief for him. While Dionysus struggles to be recognized as a true God, the Christian God is
struggling to be recognized as the only God. Both Gods possess this very human emotion that we call need; both are in
desperate search for recognition and acceptance. Another human emotion that can be found in both Gods is authority and
wrath. The Biblical God punishes Adam and Eve severely when they eat from the Tree of Forbidden Fruit. He uses his godly
authority and sends them out of Paradise. Dionysus portrays that same angry emotion; he gets angered so easily when someone
refuses to belief in him. Need and wrath are very human emotions that the Christian God and Dionysus experience.
The attributes and power that each God has is a major difference between the depiction of the God in Genesis and the
Dionysus from The Bacchae. Genesis tells of the story of how God created the earth, and how he made the animals, man and
woman. This God is shown to have the power to do anything in his will. He is the one and only true God. Dionysus does not
possess that kind of power. No text claims that he created the earth and all its inhabitants. The only thing that makes him a God
of a sort is that he is the son of the Greek God Zeus. He does not have enough authority or the power to make possible
anything that he wants. He, unlike the Biblical God, has to actually use physical labor to make something happen. The attributes
that make The God of Genesis a God are quite different from those that make Dionysus a God.
The two Gods have some aspects of their personality in common and some that are different, but a very strong point in
comparing these Gods is the influence they have on modern civilization's view of women. Genesis says that God created man
and from the rib of the man created woman. It is under the strong opinion of most women that this is a huge reason for the
condescending attitude of men towards women. The women, as shown in the books of Genesis in the Old Testament of the
Bible, are inferior to any man because man was created first and from a man's rib God made woman. In Euripides' Greek
tragedy, women are shown as independent human beings. The maenads are women who worship Dionysus; they are free and
independent women who are not afraid of following their personal beliefs. The Theban men do not intimidate the maenads, not
at all. In fact, instead of letting the men suppress their religious practices, the women become strong and dominating enough to
kill any man who tries to stop them. Dionysus is the God that gave the maenads the ability to express themselves. He is the
reason that woman were able to become independent and stand up against the typical patriarch of ancient Greek society. The
Christian God influenced the views about women in a very negative way, he make them look inferior. Dionysus helped the
woman overcome that inferiority.
The God depicted in Genesis is similar to Dionysus by the common human emotions that both experience. The need for
recognition is a great motive for both Gods. The authority and wrath that both Gods experience show them to be very human
with simple human characteristics and emotions. Despite their similar human qualities, the Genesis God and Dionysus from
Euripides' The Bacchae vary by their godly attributed and the view of woman that each one influences.
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